Track maintenance machine with a conveyor or excavating chain arrangement

Abstract

A track maintenance machine with a conveyor or excavating chain arrangement for removing and collecting railway ballast and/or other formation or substructure layers of a track structure is shown, comprising a cutter bar which can be positioned below a track and which has at least two bar elements, each adjustable in position and alignment, and which is attached to an ascent channel and to a return channel. The device comprises a guided excavating chain consisting of a plurality of chain links, wherein the arrangement can be fastened to a machine frame via at least one height-adjustable suspension device. The excavating chain is designed to be divisible, that the bar elements can be connected via a coupling to form a closed overall unit, and that the arrangement can be variably adjusted in its excavating working width by adjusting the position of the bar elements.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A track maintenance machine with a conveyor or excavating chain arrangement for removing and collecting railway ballast and/or other formation or substructure layers of a track structure, comprising:
 a machine frame ( 2 );   an ascent channel ( 12 );   a return channel ( 13 ) wherein said ascent channel and said return channel are coupled to said machine frame;   a cutter bar ( 9 ) which can be positioned below a track and which has at least two bar elements ( 10 ), each adjustable in position and alignment, and which is attached to said ascent channel ( 12 ) and to said return channel ( 13 ),   a height adjustable suspension device ( 14 ) coupled to the machine frame;   a coupling ( 11 );   a guided excavating chain ( 17 ) coupled to the machine frame and consisting of a plurality of chain links, wherein the arrangement can be fastened to said machine frame via said height-adjustable suspension device ( 14 ), wherein the guided excavating chain is designed to be divisible, in that the bar elements can be connected via said coupling to form a closed overall unit, and in that the arrangement can be variably adjusted in its excavating working width by adjusting the position of the bar elements,   wherein the coupling for connecting the bar elements is coupled with a control and regulation system ( 28 ) and corresponding measuring equipment as well as sensors for determining position and alignment in order to carry out a fully automatic or semi-automatic actuation of the coupling process.   
     
     
         2 . The track maintenance machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the division of the excavating chain by means of a locking flange is designed as a detachable, mechanical connection with at least one mechanical, detachable connecting element. 
     
     
         3 . The track maintenance machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the excavating chain comprises connecting links arranged between the individual chain links and having two degrees of freedom of movement from two axes of rotation crossing in their lines of action. 
     
     
         4 . The track maintenance machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the coupling for connecting the bar elements comprises mechanical fixing elements which are manually handled by a machine operator. 
     
     
         5 . The track construction machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the coupling for connecting the bar elements comprises at least one mechanical, detachable connecting element. 
     
     
         6 . The track maintenance machine according to  claim 5 , wherein the mechanical connection of the bar elements by means of a coupling is through at least one bolt connection. 
     
     
         7 . The track maintenance machine according to  claim 5 , wherein the mechanical connection of the bar elements by means of a coupling is via at least one screw connection. 
     
     
         8 . The track maintenance machine according to  claim 1 , wherein a divisible grading bar and at least one variably adjustable and pivoting compaction unit are arranged after the conveyor or excavating chain arrangement. 
     
     
         9 . A method of operating a track maintenance machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the ascent channel and the return channel are lowered into a desired working position and the bar elements are pivoted in under the track, and in that furthermore the bar elements are connected by means of a coupling to form a closed unit. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein before the start of work the bar elements are connected fully automatically or semi-automatically by means of a control and regulation system with the aid of corresponding measuring equipment as well as sensors for determining position and alignment by means of the coupling. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the coupling for connecting the bar elements is manually actuated by handling of a machine operator. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein one the cutter bar of the device is guided in its position and alignment in a controlled manner by corresponding control of the height-adjustable suspension device with the aid of a control and regulating system as well as corresponding measuring equipment and sensors, according to the machine operator's specifications.